octopus extreme 300

[Just Jim]

I'm having some problems getting this skimmer working. It's been running for about 3 weeks and it either pulls very little, or fills up in about 10 minutes. I have it crammed in my sump in 9.5" of water. The first two pics are with all the pumps off and the water levels raised (not how it runs) and the third pic is it in operation...


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t215/jimang628/IMG_1015.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t215/jimang628/IMG_1022.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t215/jimang628/IMG_1014.jpg

[JRaquatics]

Raise the skimmer so it is 7.5-8" of water. Then turn the elbow on the output so that a portion of it is above the water level. I have a fealing this is causing back pressure. Also are you using the mesh mod or Pin wheel. If you are running mesh please explain its specs and how many watts the pump is drawing. You are also at the end of the skimmer break in so you should notice the skimmer stabilize with in this next week.

[Just Jim]

I'll try and raise the skimmer an inch or so tomorrow, but I made the adjustment to the elbow (that was totally submerged) and notice a difference already. I watched it over the last half hour and it seems to be staying where I set it to and not overflowing the cup when I take my eyes off it. I am still using the pin wheel. Mike told me to break it in (about 3 weeks) then switch to the mesh wheel. What kind of a difference does the mesh wheel make?

[JRaquatics]

The Mesh can pull double the air the pin wheel can. The only drawback is that you have to babysit it. If you over do the mesh to gain super high air pull numbers you risk start up issues. If you run the mesh like the way we mesh our wheels you should only have to replace it every 4-6 months. You will notice an increase in performance for sure using the mesh on the 300 body.

[Just Jim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14045076#post14045076 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JRaquatics
The Mesh can pull double the air the pin wheel can. The only drawback is that you have to babysit it. If you over do the mesh to gain super high air pull numbers you risk start up issues. If you run the mesh like the way we mesh our wheels you should only have to replace it every 4-6 months. You will notice an increase in performance for sure using the mesh on the 300 body.

it's been a few days now, so I feel safe to say everything is working as I had hoped. Thanks for the help!:cool:

[JRaquatics]

Glad to hear everything is working out for you. Thanks for the update.

[Just Jim]

Lately I've been having a lot of problems priming the pumps after I've turned it off. One of the pumps sucks real well while the other is running in reverse. What could be causing this?

[JRaquatics]

Are you still using the pin wheels?

[Just Jim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14244581#post14244581 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JRaquatics
Are you still using the pin wheels?

I had switched to the mesh wheels about two weeks ago and I've had a lot of start up problems. I took out both of them and yesterday. They were all mangled up. I switched back to the pinwheels yesterday after seeing this and after a rough start up (one of the pumps running in reverse) I got it working fine. It seems to work pretty darn good witht he pinwheel as well, but these start ups are becoming a nightmare...

[Charlie Davidson]

Start up problems with a pin/w? Sounds like the pin/w needs to be sanded down..

[Charlie Davidson]

Start up problems with a pin/w..? Sounds like the pin/w needs to be sanded down..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1558034

[JRaquatics]

Did you do the slight mod to the pin wheel yet?
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1558034

So far 99.9% of the time this solves the start-up problems with the pin wheel.

[Charlie Davidson]

If you can, I would also remove the short "downward facing pipe" after the 90, on your output pipe.. (hope that make sense;) )

[JRaquatics]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14246390#post14246390 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Charlie Davidson
Start up problems with a pin/w..? Sounds like the pin/w needs to be sanded down..
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1558034

:lol: You beat me to it.

[Charlie Davidson]

:D Sorry, hope I'm not stepping on toes! ;)
You guys, have the job I have always loved.. I am a "skimmer nut";)

[JRaquatics]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14246655#post14246655 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Charlie Davidson
:D Sorry, hope I'm not stepping on toes! ;)
You guys, have the job I have always loved.. I am a "skimmer nut";)

You kidding me, It those like yourself that makes my job that much easier.:p

[Charlie Davidson]

One last thing here I want to mention.. Some people seem to have problem with pin/w being "snug" on rotor after installing it themselves.. If you push the "Cone", (that holds the pin/w on the rotor) , too hard,,,,, it prevents the pin/w from moving freely.. the pin/w needs to move -- back and forth freely.... on rotor.. (magnet section)

[Just Jim]

cool, a step by step... Well, I'll have to give that a go later. Still a question if anyone knows, why does the pump start in reverse? A little friction one way so it goes the opposite?

[Charlie Davidson]

Hope you do not mind me asking, I am VERY interested--how do you know which way its running :confused:
pump will do just fine running either way (rotation) .. the pump alternates rotation each time you unplug it.. ( most a/c pumps do)
(I believe I see difference on mesh/w)

[Just Jim]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14246886#post14246886 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Charlie Davidson
Hope you do not mind me asking, I am VERY interested--how do you know which way its running :confused:
pump will do just fine running either way (rotation) .. the pump alternates rotation each time you unplug it.. ( most a/c pumps do)
(I believe I see difference on mesh/w)

well, I was comparing it to a maxi-mod I have. Sometime the wheel spins backwards after startup. Instead of sucking through the vents on the sides and blowing out the front, it sucks in through the front and blows out the vent. One of the pumps on the bottom of the skimmer isn't sucking, it's blowing....